Road-working machine.



N. S. MONROE.

ROAD WORKING MACHINE.

APPLIUATION FILED 1330.19, 1913.

1,133,876. Patented Man-30, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

THE MORRIS PETERS C0.. FHOTGYLITHO., WASH/Nulqrlv, D. C.

N.'s. MONROE. ROAD WORKING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED DEG. 19, 1913.l

1,133,876, Patented Mar. 30, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

THE NORRIS PETERS CO.. PHUTOLITHO.. WASHINGTON, D. C,

UNITED STATES PATENT GEEICE.

NATI-IANIEL S'. MONROE, 0F ARTHUR, ILLINOIS.

ROAD-WORKING MACHINE.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, NATHANIEL S. MON- ROE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Arthur, in the county of Douglas and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Road-Vorking Machines, of which the following is a specication.

This inventionl relates to road working machines of that class which are known as graders and levelers, and it has particular reference to a machine embodying as constituent elements thereof a pair of forwardly divergent rearwardly convergent scraper elements, as for example in a copending application, filed by me on Feb. 5, 1913, Serial No. 746,490, and also in previous patents granted to me, such as for instance, Patent N o. 525,426, dated Sept. 4, 1894.

Experience has taught that while for some classes of work, it is necessary or desirable to use a heavy frame structure to support means whereby the scraper elements may be bodily lifted clear of the ground and otherwise manipulated,v there are many other cases in which it may be desirable to dispense to a large extent with any frame structure for the sake of cheapness of manufacture, lightness and consequent facility of operation and manipulation; the principal reservation being that means shall be retained whereby the scraper bars may be adjusted so as to vary the angle therebetween and also to sustain them at the desired angle when the machine is in actual operation.

With these and other ends in view, the present invention has for its main object the production of a machine which apart from the scraper bars shall be light in weight, simple and inexpensive in structure.

A further object of the invention is to produce a machine of the class described wherein the means for varying the angle between the scraper bars and for maintaining them at the desired adjustment shall be of the most simple character.

A further object of the invention is the production of a machine of the class described embodying an element which may be termed a float with which the scraper elements are movably and adjustably connected.

'Ihe invention consists in the improved construction and novel arrangement and combination of parts which will be herein- Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed December 19, 1913.

Patented Mar. 30, 1915.

Serial No. 807,649.

after more fully described and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying dra-wings has been illustrated simple and preferred forms of the invention, it being, however, understood that no limitation is necessarily made to the precise structural details therein exhibited, but that changes, alterations and modifications within the scope of the claims may be resorted to when desired.

In the drawings-Figure 1 is a top plan view illustrating one form of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the forward portion of the device. Fig. 3 is a front elevation. Fig. 4 is a top plan view on a -larger scale than Fig. 1 of the front portion of the device. Fig. 5 is a side elevaparticularly tion of a modified form of the invention.

Fig. 6 is a top plan view of said modified form. Fig. 7 is a view in side elevation illus trating a further modification. Fig. 8 is a top Vplan view of the same. Fig. 9 is a transverse sectional detail view taken onthe line 9 9 in Fig. 1. Fig. 10 is a perspective detail view showing a further modification in the construction of the float. Fig. 11 is a lpeilspective detail view of the adjusting Corresponding parts in the several figures are denoted by like characters of reference.

In Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4 there is shown a float designated by A, in the construction of which is included an axle member 15, an arch member 16 supported thereon, a draft member, such as a tongue 17, which is supported on the arch member 16 and which is provided with braces 18 also resting on the arch member, and a platform 19 supported partly on the tongue and partly on the brace members 18. This float, as it may very. properly be designated, adords bearings for a drum shaft which may be disposed vertically, as seen in Fig. 1, where saidv drum shaft is designated by 20, or horizontally, as seen in Fig. 4, where the drum shaft is designated by 20', said drum shaft being in either case equipped with a hand wheel 21, whereby it may be rotated and with a rachet 22 engaged by a pawl 23 to prevent reverse rotation. The float in Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive, has been shown as being supported on ground wheels 23 mounted on the spindles 24 of the axle member 15.

In Fig; 4 that portion of the draft member or tongue 17 which extends rearwardly of the front ends of the hounds or braces 18, as seen in Fig. 1, has been omitted. Under the construction shown in Fig. 1 where the drum shaft 20 is vertically disposed, it is desirable that the tongue should be rear- ,wardly extended, as shownin said figure, to afford a solid bearing for said drum shaft. Under the construction seen in Fig. 4 where the drum shaft is horizontally disposed, the additional bearing which would be afforded by extending lthe tongue rearwardly is not deemed necessary.

1n Figs. 5 and 6 the float, here designated by the character B, includes in its construction simply a draft element consisting of a bar or tongue 25 with the underside of which is connected a downwardly and rearwardly extending bar or plate 26 which is bent or otherwise formed to present a breast plate or runner. The tongue or draft element supports a small platform 27 and al drum shaft 28 extending through said platform and draft element, the lower end of the drum shaft being stepped in a bea-ring on the member 26. The drum shaft has a hand wheel 30 and a. ratchet wheel 31, the latter being engaged by a dog or pawl 32.

Under a still further modication illustrated in Figs. 7 and 8, the float, here designated by C, is composed of a draft element 33 with which runner members 34 are suitably connected, said runner members being connected together by a cross bar 35 to support the lower end of a drum shaft 36, the upper end of which extends through and is journaled in the draft member 33, being provided with a hand wheel 37 and a ratchet wheel 38, the latter engaged by a dogk 39. The draft element 33 supports near its rear end a cross bar 40.

` Scraper elements D which are used in connection with each of the several forms of the invention, but which have been illustrated only in Figs. 1 and 9, are composed each of what may be termed a scraper bar 41 anda heel bar 42, said bars being angle bars or other suitable bars of proper dimensions and of substantially equal length, said bars being: placed alongside of each other with the free edges of their horizontal flanges juxtaposed and connected together by hinges 43 of any approved construction. Vlhen the scraper elements D are divergently positioned, as in Fig. 1, it will be seen that the vertical flanges of the scraper bars 41 will be presented obliquely to the front, while the vertical flanges of the heel bars 42 will be presented obliquely to the rear. Suitably mounted on the vertical flange of each scraper bar 41 is a cutter member 44, the sharp edge of which projects below the hori- Zontal flange of such cutter bar so as to be capable of penetrating into ythe ground. Each heel bar is provided with an upwardly extend-ing ratchet bar 45 having a handle 4,6y

whereby it may be manipulated for the purpose of tilting the heel bar with respect to the scraper bar with which it is connected, so as to cause a dog 47 connected with the scraper bar to engage one of the ratchets of the bar 45, thereby sustaining the heel bar and the scraper bar at a desired and predetermined angle with respect to each other.

The scraper elements are connected with the float member of the machine by means of link bars 48, the rear ends of which are pivoted on the scraper bars near the forward ends thereof, as at 49. The forwardends of the link bars 48 may be variously connected with the float-member according to the construction of the latter. Thus, under the co'nstruction seen in Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive, the forward ends of the float members are pivotally connected with the rearward corners of the platform 19, where clips', best seen at 50 in Fig. 2, are provided for the attachment of the link bars. Under Vthe construction seen in Figs. 5 and 6, the forward ends of the link bars 48 are pivotally connected with the rear end of the draft element :25 by means of a single pivotmember 51 for the passage of which a clip or clevis 52 is provided. Under the construction seen in Figs. 7 and 8, the link bars 48 are pivotally connected with the cross bar 40.

The scraper elements D are connected together near their rear ends by a flexible element, such as a chain 53. Adjustably connected with said chain intermediate the ends thereof, preferably by means of a special adjusting link, as seen at 54 in Fig. 11, is the rear end of another flexible element or chain 54, the forward end of which is connected with the drum shaft of the float member sothat by rotating said drum shaft, the said flexible element 54 maybe placed under tension or slackened, as may be required. The` rearward ends of the scraper elements are also pivotally connected at 55 with a cross bar or spacing member 56. 1t will be seen that when the chain 54 is connected with the chain 53 otherwise than midway between the ends thereof, and when the draft is applied, one or the other of the scraper' elements will be thrown in a forward direction by the excess of stress on the end of the spacing member 56 with which it connected, said spacing member beingl thrown to an inclined or angling position whereby the rear ends of the scraper bars are brought more closely together than before. Such adjustments are at times very desirable..

1 would have it distinctly and particularly understood that the construction of the float member and the manner of connecting the link bars therewith may bel greatly varied within the scope of the present invention, and that while several suitable Aforms of carrying the invention into practice have been illustrated,no limitation to any of said forms is intended.

In the operation of this invention, two points are to be particularly observed; one, is that owing to the link connection of the forward ends of the scraper elements with the float, when the scraper bar and the heel bar are tilted with respect to each other, as seen in Fig. 9, the angular corner of the heel bar will rest on the ground, while the scraper bar with its ground engaging blade may be thrown clear ofthe ground, thus permitting the heel bar to slide or drag over the ground with a smoothing and trowel-like action, whereby the surface of theground will be smoothed and compacted. Another point to be observed is that when the scraper elements are thus tilted, and the flexible element .5d-is slacked, draft in a forward direction on the float will be productive of a strain on the link bars 4S which will tend to move the forward ends of the scraper elements in the direction of each other, so that said scraper elements which constitute the weighty part of the machine may be easily transported from place to place by simply dragging them over the ground, and that such dragging action, in'- stead of being detrimental, will be absolutely beneficial to the road over which the machine is transported. Contrariwise, it will be seen that when the flexible element 54 is placed under tension by winding it upon the drum shaft, the rearward ends of the scraper elements will be forcibly moved in a forward direction, thus causing their forward ends to be spread apart by the action of the link bars 48.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the drawings hereto anneXed, it will be seen that a machine has been produced which, while eminently simple in its construction and embodying but few parts, will be thoroughly efficient for the purposes for which it is provided. It .may be stated that while in FigsA l to 4l, inclusive, the float member has been shown as being mounted on ground wheels, such mounting is deemed unnecessary for general use, inasmuch as runner members of any kind will be amply suflicient for the purpose of maintaining the float member in upright position when it rests on the ground, while, when draft is applied, the said lioat element may be bodily lifted clear of the ground, as clearly indicated in Fig. 5. Runners in the accepted sense of the term may even be dispensed with, the only necessary qualifications of the float being that it shall afford means to which draft, whether animal or mechanical, may be hitched, means with which the scraper element through the medium of the link bars may be connected, and means for supporting a drum element on which the flexible adjusting element 54 ground engaging position,

may be wound. Thus, a simple U-shaped element such as has been shown at 60 in Fig. l0, affording support for a bitching clevis 6l and for a drum shaft 62 may be held to answer all the necessary requirements of the float.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, is :h

l. A machine of the class described, comprising a float member, a pair of scraper elements, a flexible element connecting together the scraper elements near the rear ends thereof, link bars connecting the forward ends of the scraper elements with the float, and means for forcibly moving the scraper elements forwardly with respect to the lioat, the scraper elements being of great weight relatively to the float whereby while said scraper elements are constantly in said float is capable of being raised clear of the ground by the application of draft strain in a forward direction.

2. In a machine of the class described, a float, link bars pivotally connected therewith and constituting spreader members, scraper elements having their forward ends pivotally connected with the link bars, a flexible connection between the rear ends of the scraper elements, a drum shaft on the float, and a flexible element having one end connected with the drum shaft and the other end with the flexible connection of the scraper elements, the scraper elements being of great weight relatively to the float whereby while said scraper elements are constantly in ground engaging position, said float is capable of being raised clear of the ground by the application of draft strain in a forward direction.

3. In a device of the class described, a pair of ground engaging scraper elements, a iioat positioned wholly in advance of said elements, rigid link bars connecting the float with the scraper elements at the forward ends of the latter, means flexibly connecting the rearward ends of the scraper elements, and means connected with the last mentioned means for exerting stress in a forward direction on the scraper elements with respect to the float.

Ll. A machine of the class described comprising a float member, a pair of scraper elements each including a scraper bar, a tiltable heel bar substantially coeXtensive therewith, and means for tilting the heel bar to lift the scraper bar clear of the ground, a flexible element connecting together the scraper elements near the rear ends thereof, link bars connecting the forward ends of the scraper elements with the float, and means for forcibly moving the scraper elements forwardly with respect to the float.

A machine of the class described comprising a float member, link bars pivotally connected Vtherewith and constituting spreader members, scraper elements having their forward ends pivotally connected with the link bars, a flexible connection between the rear ends of the scraper elements, a drum shaft on the float, and a flexible element having one end connected with the drum shaft and the other end with the iiexible connection of the scraper elements; said scraper elements comprising each a scraper bar having a cutting blade, a heel bar hingedly connected withl the scraper bar and substantially coeXtensive therewith, and means for tilting the heel bar with respect to the scraper bar and for sustaining it at various angles with respect thereto to support the scraper bar with its cutting member clear of the ground.

6. In a device of the class described, a pair of ground engaging scraper elements, a float positioned wholly in advance of said elements, rigid link bars connecting the float with the scraper elements at the forward ends of the latter, means flexibly connecting the rearward ends of the scraper elements,

means connected with the last mentioned flexible connecting means for moving the scraper elements in a forward direction with respect to the float, and means for securing the scraper bars against rearward movement with respect to the float; said scraper elements comprising each a scraper bar having a cutting blade, a heel bar hingedly connected with the scraper bar, and means for tilting the heel bar with respect to the scraper bar to lift the latter with the cutting member clear of the ground and for sustaining it at such elevation.v

7. In a machine of the class described, a float, link bars pivotally connected therewith and constituting spreader members, scraper elements having their forward ends pivotally connected with the link bars, a spacing member pivotally connected with the 'rearward ends of the scraper elements, a flexible connection between the rear ends of the scraper elements, a drum shaft on the float, and a flexible element having one end connected with the drum shaft and the other endconnected adjustably with the flexible connection of the scraper elements, the scraper elements being of great weight relatively7 to the float whereby while said scraper elements are Vconstantly in ground engaging position, said float is capable of being raised clear of the ground by the application of draft strain in a forward direction.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. 0.- f 

